Who goes first? South Carolina right-of-way rules, with pictures
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Right of way decides who goes first. Most of it comes down to a few rules: the first to arrive goes first, a tie at a four-way stop goes to the driver on your right, and when you join traffic, the traffic that's already there goes first. People on foot in a crosswalk go first, painted lines or not.
In the drawings, the numbers show the order everyone goes in. Every rule here comes from the SCDMV Driver's License Manual.
Start with the free check-up to see which topics to study first. The free test takes about 5 minutes.
What right of way means
The rules tell you who should yield, but the manual is clear that nobody should assume they have the right of way. Look at what's actually happening, and be ready to yield to avoid a crash.
Four-way stops
At an intersection, yield to the driver who is already there or who got there before you. At a four-way stop, if you and another driver arrive at the same time, the driver on your right goes first.
Before you move, look left, then right, then left again. When a light turns green, don't roll straight in: make sure the intersection is clear first.
Left turns, driveways and ramps
Turning left, you yield to drivers coming the other way, and to people and bicyclists still in the intersection.
Coming out of a driveway or private road onto a public road, you yield to the drivers already on it.
On an entrance ramp, the drivers already on the interstate or limited-access highway go first. Use the acceleration lane to match their speed, then merge into a gap.
Roundabouts
Slow down as you come to a roundabout or traffic circle and yield to the traffic already going around. Traffic always moves counterclockwise. Go to your exit, signal, and leave.
People on foot
Not every crosswalk is painted. You must yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, marked or not, and be ready to yield to people crossing anywhere else too.
A green light doesn't change that: yield to everyone in the intersection. When someone with a guide dog or a white cane is crossing, come to a complete stop.
Next to parked or stopped cars, slow down, and don't pass a stopped car until you're sure nobody is crossing in front of it.
Emergency vehicles and school buses
When an emergency vehicle has its flashing lights and siren on, yield: pull over to the side of the road so it can get by, and keep intersections clear.
For a school bus that is stopped or getting ready to stop with red or amber lights flashing, traffic going both ways stops on a two-lane road. Only on a highway with four lanes, two each way, may traffic coming the other way keep going. Traffic behind the bus always stops.
Questions people ask
Who goes first at a four-way stop in South Carolina?
The driver who got there first. If you arrive at the same time as another driver, the one on your right goes first.
Do I have to stop for a pedestrian who isn't in a crosswalk?
Be ready to. The manual says to be ready to yield to people on foot even outside a crosswalk, and you must yield to one in a crosswalk, marked or not.
Who has the right of way in a roundabout?
Traffic already in it. Yield to the cars going around, then enter counterclockwise.
Must I stop for a school bus on the other side of the road?
On a two-lane road, yes. Only on a multi-lane highway of four lanes, two each way, may you keep going when you meet the bus from the other direction.
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Go deeper
Practice the rules in this guide
Each one has a free practice question with the answer explained.
- Right of way is never automatic
- First to arrive goes first
- Four-way stops: arriving together
- Turning left
- Pulling out of a driveway
- Entering from a ramp
Show all 15
- Entering a roundabout
- Which way to go in a roundabout
- Marked and unmarked crosswalks
- People crossing outside a crosswalk
- White cane or guide dog: complete stop
- Passing stopped vehicles near people on foot
- Pedestrians in the intersection on a green light
- Siren and flashing lights: pull to the edge
- School bus across a four-lane highway
Sources
SCDMV Driver's License Manual
- Section 6, Rules of the Road: pages 1, 2 and 15
- Section 7, General Driving: pages 1, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 14
- Section 10, Sharing the Road: pages 1, 2 and 12
Checked against these sources on October 24, 2026.
We read these sources and wrote this guide in our own words. The DMV has the final word, and rules change, so check anything important with the DMV before your appointment.